COMMISSION ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT ADOPTS DRAFT RESOLUTIONS ON WORK PROGRAMME

Commission on Population and Development                   

Thirty-seventh Session                                     

8^th Meeting (PM)

COMMISSION ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT ADOPTS DRAFT RESOLUTIONS ON WORK PROGRAMME

But Unable to Conclude Its Work as Scheduled

Unable to conclude its work as scheduled this afternoon, the thirty-seventh session of the Commission on Population and Development adopted draft resolutions on its work programme in the field of population and its methods of work, and decided on the theme for its thirty-ninth session.

In the draft resolution entitled “Work programme in the field of population”, adopted by consensus, and submitted as an unnumbered text, the Commission emphasized that the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social affairs should continue basic work on population estimates, projections and patterns; analysis of international migration; ageing of populations; change in fertility and mortality rates; interrelations among population, resources, the environment and development; and the evolution of population policies, applying a gender perspective in that regard.

By the text, the Commission also requested the Population Division to continue assessing progress made toward the implementation of the Programme of Action of the Cairo Conference, and continue its work on the impact of HIV/AIDS on population and development, in collaboration with relevant entities.  It encouraged the Division to build demographic capacity in developing countries, and it emphasized the need for it to enhance collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), whose role it called crucial in meeting the goal of the Programme of Action.

The Commission decided that the theme for its thirty-ninth session in 2006 would be “International migration and development”.  Reaffirming that the special theme for its thirty-eighth session in 2005 would be “Population, development and HIV/AIDS, with particular emphasis on poverty” (as decided during its thirty-sixth session), the Commission today adopted by consensus an orally revised decision (document E/CN.9/2004/L.5) that in 2005 it should also consider the contribution of the implementation of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action to the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration.

Addressing its methods of work, the Commission decided, also by consensus, to elect the Bureau of the Commission on the final day of each session, and to establish a system of regular geographic rotation for its chairmanship.  It further decided, according to the orally amended document E/CN.9/2004/L.4, to consider its methods of work at its next session.

In other business today, the Commission adopted its provisional agenda for the thirty-eighth session as orally revised, contained in document E/CN.9/2004/L.2./Rev.1 and took note of the following documents submitted at the thirty-seventh session –- documents E/CN.9/2004/3,4,5 and 6.

The representatives of United States, Chile and France made short remarks.

The Commission on Population and Development will meet again at a date to be announced.

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